One Last Dance

It's a pity!

That this movie has come and gone without any fan fare.

It is a beautiful dance movie with wonderful haunting music and moves.

The acting is sometimes kind of hammy and out of place. You can tell that the leading lady is a very gentle lady and that yelling screaming are not her style. The scenes where she is overly emotional are false.

It is such a treat for the over the hill gang to see the Masters dance with such wild abandon.

Overall, it is a dance movie and it honors the mature dancers.

It is both flawed and wonderful.

I will recommend it to family and friends. Rent it and watch it!

ONE LAST DANCE appears to be a film for dancers, either active or retired, wannabees or romanticists. There is some terrific Brazilian influenced music from Stacy Widelitz that enhances much of the corps dancing and some beautiful moments of cinematography making the most of a bare ballet studio rehearsal hall - both of which add what dreaminess this low budget film has to offer.

Written and directed and produced and acted by Lisa Niemi the story involves the return to the boards by three retired dancers (Lisa Niemi, Patrick Swayze, George de la Pena - all three are dancers in real life) to pay homage to the gifts of a highly regarded yet now dead choreographer. The three left dancing seven years prior to the story for personal reasons, mostly involving lack of confidence and personal issues that affected each tangentially. They return to a company to perform a dance by the dead choreographer and the rest of the slim story is how these out of shape hoofers regain the healing magic of dancing.

The corps of ballet dancers assembled for this film is exceptionally fine for a pickup group: Rasta Thomas, Desmond Richardson, Kathryn Bradney, Tai Jiminez, Bambi Swayze, Jamie Bishton, Stephanie Slater, Heather Thompson, Dwight Rhoden and Yosuke Mino deserve special mention. The scenes of dancing vary depending on the choreography of each of four artists - Alonzo King, Dwight Rhoden, Patsy Swayze, and Doug Varone. But in the end to be less than a documentary about the rigors and rewards of dancing there must be a well-acted story based on a sensitive script and that is where the film is shaky and a bit self indulgent. Swayze, Niemi, de la Pena take the roles as far as they go, but in the end the story is much ado about very little.

Yet there is some gorgeous dance work well filmed that will satisfy even the most particular critic. The DVD added features include some insights into the difficulty and final rewards of bringing ONE LAST DANCE to the screen, and in these comments there is more story than that found in the script. Grady Harp

It is a film who I love. Against confuse and pathetic story. But it is just a film deserving be loved.

First for the trio Lisa Niemi, George de la Pena and Patrick Swayze.

Second - for dance, choreographies and music.

Three - for the face of Patrick Swayze in light, like a bronze statue.

Not the last for the forced but seductive end.

It is a pure beautiful film.

Deserving, in high measure, be loved.

When the successful artistic director Alex McGrath (Matthew Walker) dies, his New York dance company invites three veteran dancers, Travis MacPhearson (Patrick Swaize), Chrissa Lindh (Lisa Niemi) and Max Delano (George De La Pena), to exhibit a never performed dance piece called "Without a Word" as a last homage in a benefit show. Along the troubled trio reunion, secrets are disclosed, deep wounds are healed, culminating with their last dance together.

"One Last Dance" is certainly a very personal work of Patrick Swaize and mostly of his wife Lisa Niemi, who are producers, writer, director and lead actor and actress. The choreography is very beautiful, with a great music score including two Brazilian songs. Lisa Niemi and Patrick Swaize show that they are in good shape as dancers. Unfortunately, the screenplay is weak, with a sort of soap-opera drama and Lisa Niemi performs a confused character, never clear of her feelings and intentions. If she had a serious situation with Alex, why does she need to dance again? Travis returned for Chrissa, and Max because he is completely broken. Further, the tearful character Chrissa Lindh is boring in some moments with her insecurity. But the dances make this movie a worthwhile entertainment for those who like this art. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "A Última Dança" ("The Last Dance")

I'm sure a lot of dancers saw this and hated it, but this movie is not going to relate to young dancers today. It's a movie for the dancers of the "old school". 20 years ago, when we were coming up through the ranks, it was a lot different than it is now. It's about what it was to be a dancer with a dedication and discipline beyond what people think it means today. And how is can obsess and destroy and how sometimes one can overcome the "demons" for the pure love of dancing.

The story is about the reunion of 3 dancers who are asked to perform a particular work that, for varying reasons, ended their careers.

Lisa Neimi wrote and directed this movie...she is the only director yet who actually knows how to direct a dance film. You are FINALLY able to see the dancing, not just weird fast cuts to keep heads reeling and people's short attention spans. The writing is very good and captures what dancers go through. George de la Pena is still a wonderful dancer and Patrick Swayze is really incredible.

Sorry to all the nay sayers who can't appreciate this movie. I loved it. I thought it was brilliantly filmed and acted...and although some of the dialog may come across as trite, you would have had to live the life of years ago to get it. I'm talking about a time when a person was so dedicated, so disciplined that they would do anything, overcome anything to make their dreams happen and sometimes almost destroying themselves in the process.